Thursday, January 13, 2011

The trip started out when I landed in San Francisco and met up with my mom, dad, brother, and sister. We immediately headed out to Napa, where I was born and lived until 4th grade.

This is along the waterfront, and all this is new to me. It looks great.

These are my Napa cousins. One on the left is the one that came to Japan while I was in Laverite. He is super awesome. One on the right is much, much bigger than I remember. He is a jazz bassist. He is also super awesome.

Typical Napa Valley scenery.

Then down to the Fresno/Clovis area, where I spent the rest of my life until college!

Here is my super awesome grandma. She is a multi-instrumentalist (piano, marimba, guitar), award-winning painter, and soon-to-be great-grandmother of 4 (already 2!). We lost grandpa in November, and it's been difficult sometimes, but she's a super trooper and I love her dearly.

Christmas Eve service at a church we've never been to. That was actually nice. (And short!)

Christmas morning. Good haul.

Then, off to LA!

MY NEPHEW!!! :D I taught him harmonica. Literally, before I showed up he'd been trying to make a sound for days and couldn't, but I taught him. I am the best teacher ever. (Technically, he is my cousin's child, which makes him "first cousin once removed", but that is dumb because he is a baby and there's no way that some little baby is my first cousin, so he is my 'nephew')

MY NIECE!!!!! I taught her recorder. Literally, before I showed up she'd been trying to make a sound for days and couldn't, but I taught her. I am the best teacher ever. (Technically, she is my cousin's child, which makes her "first cousin once removed", but that is dumb because she is a baby and there's no way that some little baby is my first cousin, so she is my 'niece')

Aw yeah, mountains

This is another super-awesome cousin. He is a swimmer, and entomologist at UC Davis.

This is another super awesome cousin. He is a swim coach and totally bomb basketballer. I hope he makes it because he is seriously super good.

This is yet another super awesome cousin. He lives in Texas and teaches psychology.

Here is one more super awesome cousin, the father of the little boy and the uncle of the little girl. He is a talented graphic designer, and he and his wife (honorary super awesome cousin) are expecting another little one. Absolutely everyone in my family is way cooler than me.

I didn't get a picture with her for some reason but the above cousin's sister, my last super awesome cousin and my only girl cousin, is the mother of the little girl and expecting another one soon. She works at a school and is a great pianist. Her husband is similarly a cool dude.

This is my sister. She works with autistic children. She is so dang cool.

This is my brother. He is a freshman in college, great athlete, funny, and yeah, my hair would probably look like that if I didn't have it straightened. His major, he tells me, is "being better than you."

At LAX with my parents before I went through security. Best parents I've ever had.

A couple more highlights:

This is my best-friend-since-kindergarten. I moved away in 4th grade, but we kept in touch because were were writing stories together. It hasn't ended and we're still going strong. It's like a majillion pages. No plans to put it out.
He studied political science at Occidental, got a masters degree at the Monterey Institute, knows Russian, is extremely knowledgeable about Roman, military, and other history, politics, is interested in nuclear disarmament, and is all-around a super awesome dude.

Everyone in my life is super awesome, and I hope this is clear.

My last night in Japan in 2010, right after our final show with me. Just spoke to them yesterday; they're in the recording studio and playing shows. Can't wait to hear it. :)